It does not appear likely that Easton will vote this month on which 911 plan it will follow.

City Council President Brian Ahearn said he does not expect to schedule a special meeting between now and Aug. 1, the date by which Northampton County had asked municipalities to decide. "The administration has asked for a little time to look at the numbers and present an option to us," Ahearn said last night. "It's not on our agenda yet."

Mayor Thomas Goldsmith said it was possible he could have a recommendation to council before the county deadline but was not making any promises. City officials have expressed their frustration at being asked to make a decision in 30 days on a plan the county has been working on for years.

Municipalities have two options under the county's proposed $42.8 million 911 plan. Those with dispatch centers can elect to spend money to upgrade those centers to 911 standards or pay $5 per capita to have a county center do the work.

Eleven municipalities, with a combined population of 83,600 people, have agreed so far to pay the $5 fee. None is from the area of Blue Mountain Control Centre, which serves the Slate Belt and has challenged the county plan in court. Councilwoman Cindy Marakovits, the key vote on County Council, has said she would vote for the plan Aug. 1 if she has positive answers from half the population in the county. That eligible population is 194,000, excluding Bethlehem, which has its own 911 system.

Easton's options, as presented in a July memo authored by Public Safety Director Alvin L. "Skip" Fairchild Jr., are to spend $1.27 million over 10 years to upgrade its dispatch center. Factoring in personnel costs over that time, Fairchild estimated the city would pay close to $3 million over a decade.

In the other scenario, Easton would pay the $5 fee and dish out $1.3 million over 10 years. But the city points out it would still have to maintain personnel in the police facility for things like monitoring prisoners and handling walk-in traffic.

Also last night, two of the three municipalities supporting the Colonial Regional Police Department declined to participate in the county's 911 plan. Officials in Bath and Hanover Township said they did not have enough information and had reservations about collecting the $5 fee.

The third municipality, Lower Nazareth Township, is scheduled to consider the plan tonight. Blue Mountain Control Centre provides emergency services to all three municipalities.